Thameslink Growth Corridor Director – GTR

Women in Rail; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Women in Rail is seeking a Thameslink Growth Corridor Director to join the senior leadership team. You will set strategic direction and lead the long‑term development of the Thameslink Growth Corridor, aligning infrastructure, rolling stock capacity, customer outcomes and commercial opportunities with a whole‑system approach across the Integrated Railway, GBR Division, Network Rail and government partners.

You will drive investment opportunities, deliver complex transformation programmes and

Qualifications

• This is a senior leadership role requiring experience across strategy, transformation, and commercial development.
• Experience delivering major programmes or organisational transformation.
• Ability to influence at the highest levels across diverse stakeholders.
• Capable of translating long-term strategic ambition into practical delivery.

Responsibilities

• Set and lead the transformational strategy for the Thameslink Growth Corridor, ensuring readiness for future demand and opportunities from greater integration.
• Lead strategic planning and business development across the integrated railway, turning long-term ambition into costed, deliverable plans.
• Identify future investment, customer and revenue opportunities, including funding beyond direct government support, with compelling business cases.
• Work with Finance to ensure plans are fully costed and support sustainable reductions in net subsidy.
• Lead the design and implementation of major transformation programmes, managing complex interdependencies, risks and benefits.
• Build relationships with GTR, Network Rail, government, regulators and industry partners to align on strategic priorities.
• Lead and develop the Strategy & Transformation team, fostering collaboration and high performance during industry change.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic planning

Stakeholder management

Job description

Join the senior leadership team to drive strategic growth and transformation across the Thameslink Growth Corridor, leading the development of a sustainable, integrated railway that supports future passenger demand and regional growth.

Britain’s largest railway is set for substantial growth, with major investment planned at Gatwick Airport, Luton Airport and the future Universal United Kingdom Resort.

As Thameslink Growth Corridor Director, you will join the senior leadership team, setting strategic direction while leading the long-term development of the Thameslink Growth Corridor(opening in 2031).

With significant passenger growth forecast across the corridor, you will shape how the railway responds, considering infrastructure, rolling stock capacity, customer outcomes, commercial opportunities and the integration of track and train operations. You will turn this ambition into a clear, deliverable and financially sustainable strategy, coordinating activity across the railway and its partners.

Working across the Integrated Railway, the GBR Division, Network Rail and with government, regulators and industry partners, you will identify opportunities to unlock investment, improve capacity, enhance performance and customer outcomes, and reduce net subsidy through a genuinely whole-system approach.

Alongside responsibility for the Growth Corridor, you will lead the Strategy & Transformation Directorate, bringing together strategic planning, business development and innovation.

What you’ll be doing

You will act as a strategic adviser to the Managing Director and Executive Leadership Team, providing insight and direction on organisational performance, growth opportunities, transformation and the future development of the railway.

You will:

• Set and lead the transformational strategy for the Thameslink Growth Corridor, ensuring the railway is prepared for future passenger demand and able to maximise the opportunities created by greater integration.
• Lead strategic planning and business development across the integrated railway, translating long-term ambition into credible, costed and deliverable plans.
• Identify future investment, customer and revenue opportunities, including opportunities to attract funding beyond direct government support, developing compelling business cases and value propositions.
• Work closely with Finance to ensure strategic plans are fully costed and support the delivery of sustainable reductions in net subsidy.
• Lead the design and implementation of major transformation programmes, using systems thinking to manage complex interdependencies, risks and benefits.
• Build strong relationships across GTR, Network Rail, government, regulators and industry partners, creating alignment around shared strategic priorities.
• Lead, develop and inspire the Strategy & Transformation team, fostering a collaborative and high-performing culture during a period of significant industry change.

About you

This is a senior leadership role requiring someone comfortable operating across strategy, transformation, commercial development and complex stakeholder environments.

You will bring significant experience of developing and delivering strategy within a large and complex organisation, alongside a strong track record of leading major programmes or organisational transformation.

You will also have:

• Strong executive leadership capability and the credibility to influence at the highest levels.
• Experience developing business cases, investment propositions and strategies that translate into tangible outcomes.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including experience in complex, high-value commercial or contractual environments.
• Experience establishing effective programme governance and successfully delivering complex change.
• The ability to build collaborative relationships across organisational boundaries and bring together stakeholders with differing priorities.
• Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills, with the ability to communicate complex issues clearly and credibly.

Experience within rail, transport, infrastructure or another complex, regulated and asset-intensive environment would be advantageous. Most important is the ability to understand complex systems, work across organisational boundaries and translate long-term strategic ambition into practical delivery.

The opportunity

The railway is entering a period of fundamental change. Greater integration between track and train creates an opportunity to think differently about how the railway is planned, invested in and operated, while delivering better outcomes for passengers, taxpayers and communities.

As Thameslink Growth Corridor Director, you will play a central role in that journey. You will influence both the immediate transformation of the business and the long-term development of the Thameslink corridor, operating at Executive level across an increasingly integrated railway.

If you are an accomplished strategic leader who can combine ambitious long‑term thinking with the commercial judgement and delivery focus needed to make change happen, this is a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact.